POLICY 3 AGRICULTURE 4 TRADE AND INVESTMENT 5 INFRASTRUCTURE 6 ENVIRONMENT 7 TOWARDS ENERGY EDUCATION 12 GENDER 13 PEACE & SECURITY 14

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1 SADC TODAY Vol. 12 No 3 April 2010 by Kizito Sikuka POLICY 3 AGRICULTURE 4 TRADE AND INVESTMENT 5 INFRASTRUCTURE 6 ENVIRONMENT 7 TOWARDS ENERGY EDUCATION 12 GENDER 13 PEACE & SECURITY 14 EVENTS 15 HISTORY TODAY 16 SADC MEMBER States have taken action on current power shortages in the region through measures that address the structural, operational and institutional challenges hindering development in the sector. These wide-ranging strategies include Guidelines for Regulating Cross-border Power Trading in Southern Africa, and a framework for cost-reflective tariffs in the region. SADC Ministers responsible for Energy approved these measures at their meeting in Luanda, Angola, on April when they considered wideranging measures aimed at attracting investment into the industry. The guidelines on cross-border trading are expected to address some of the bottlenecks in transboundary energy trading, such as licensing issues and the powers of regulatory authorities in exporting, importing and transit countries. Approval of the guidelines is expected to streamline the intra-regional trade in power as well as lure more investment into transmission and generation facilities. Cost-reflective tariffs, raised to levels that can justify private capital injection into the sector, will be reviewed in such a way that low income households continue to access electricity at affordable charges. Investors have raised concerns that low tariffs hinder them from taking up projects in the region as there would be little gain from huge investments. However, other sectors have expressed concern about the inflationary effects of raising tariffs too rapidly. At the Luanda meeting, the Ministers called for a comprehensive review and rationalisation of the Energy Sector governing instruments such as the SADC Energy Protocol and the SADC Energy Activity Plan. The Activity Plan, which was last reviewed 10 years ago, is a critical document that guides SADC and International Cooperating Partners (ICPs), as it identifies key activities and priorities for implementation in the short-to-medium term. Other instruments such as the SADC Energy Policy, and the SADC Energy Access Strategy and Action Plan also have a crucial role in the planning and implementation of projects. continued on page 2...

2 Energy challenge; a regional response continued from page 1... The Ministers said the review of these instruments is essential. The SADC region is relatively endowed with energy resources but has not been able to realize their full potential due to a number of structural, operational and institutional challenges inhibiting their rapid development, the Ministers said in a statement released after the meeting. Some of the energy resources under-utilized in southern Africa are solar, wind and hydro energy, with some priority projects identified as far back as the 1980s still unimplemented. Despite this huge potential, southern Africa has been experiencing serious shortages for the past decade, due to lack of investment in major generation projects. Structural and operational challenges such as low tariffs and long tendering procedures have been identified as the major hindrance to investment in the sector. Recent studies by the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) have shown that the region is capable of doubling its current capacity of about 49,000 megawatts of electricity through least cost projects already identified in Member States over a year period. With regard to key reforms in petroleum and gas production, the Ministers agreed that a regional association to manage such issues should be put in place by July. While all Member States are using petroleum products to power vehicles and other machines, few have embraced natural gas which exists in abundance in many parts of the region. Following the approval of the SADC Regional Energy Access Strategy and Action Plan at the meeting, the Ministers urged Member States to develop national energy roadmaps that consider all factors, including climate change, as well as the renewed thrust towards energy access, renewable energy and energy efficiency. The national roadmaps should be developed by October for consolidation into a regional roadmap to be used for resource mobilization. On institutional matters, the meeting urged the SADC Secretariat with Member States, SAPP, the Regional Electricity Regulators Association of Southern Africa (RERA) and all stakeholders to work closely together on the implementation of energy projects. The Ministers called for the pursuance of tenets of regional cooperation and stressed that the Secretariat assisted by Member States, SAPP and RERA should ensure that investment is coordinated and that a holistic approach for addressing the identified issues is in place. SAPP and RERA are also expected to follow up on recommendations from the investment conferences held in Livingstone, Zambia in late 2009 and in Frankfurt, Germany in March At the two conferences, potential investors said regional projects could attract attention if they are sufficiently packaged and presented to financiers. Other major recommendations were that the projects should have a regional approach rather than national, and that there is need for the region to have similar regulatory systems to ensure smooth implementation of projects. The SADC energy ministers urged Member States to continue implementing the Biomass Energy Conversation (ProBEC) programme, whose German funding is coming to an end in December. The ProBEC programme is being implemented in seven countries Botswana Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia and is expected to resume in Zimbabwe soon following a directive by the ministers in The project aims to strengthen capacities and commitments of governments and development institutions in Member States to plan and implement integrated biomass energy conservation programmes. ProBEC has contributed to the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by reducing poverty to improve the quality of life for poor rural and urban populations in SADC countries and by enabling them to fulfil the energy needs of households and small-scale industries in a socially and environmentally sustainable manner. Biomass is regarded as one of the most important energy sources in the region as the majority of people use it. According to available data, about 80 percent of the SADC population relies on biomass such as woodfuel and farm residue for cooking and heating. Pursuant to clean energy goals, the region plans to create a SADC Carbon Facility, aligned to the climate change process. The income derived from the carbon credit sales would be channelled towards supporting biomass energy activities in the region. SADC said the carbon facility is expected to manage a number of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project activities based on existing ProBEC programmes and other activities that promote efficient cooking technologies. The ministers discussed and reviewed the current regional electricity supply situation. It was noted that the SADC region has an available capacity equivalent to about 48,650 MW. This gives an annual shortfall of 1,248 MW for (See Table). Current and Future Demand and Supply Year Demand Annual Available Annual Annual Forecast Increase in Capacity Increase Power [MW] Demand [MW] in Supply Shortfall [MW] [MW] [MW] , , , , , , , , , , The Ministers noted that in 2010, SAPP is expecting to commission projects that will add about 840 MW to the regional grid. A total of 70 MW has already been commissioned in Botswana with the remaining expected by year end. Additional supply is expected to come from South Africa's Eskom, which plans to commission a total of 598 MW from two plants Komati Thermal Station and Co-Generation Gas plant. Angola's ENE will provide 120 MW from its two hydro plants in Gove and Lobito, while Zambia's Zesco will add 15 MW from the Kariba North hydro plant. Last year, SAPP was able to add a total of 2,187 MW against a planned target of 2,400 MW. The Ministers said there is need for more discussions on the Western Corridor Power Project (Westcor), which has been terminated. We urge the Democratic Republic of Congo to facilitate the holding of a senior Westcor officials meeting to discuss the development of a new project with a new mandate, based on the possible exploration of alternative schemes. The Westcor project was initiated a few years ago to develop the Inga III power project in DRC, but was terminated when another investor committed to the job. The next meeting of SADC Ministers responsible for Energy is scheduled for 2011 in Gaborone, Botswana. r 2 SOUTHERN AFRICA Today, April 2010

3 P O L I C Y SADC Council of Ministers discusses food security, climate change THE SOUTHERN African region shows a food surplus for this marketing year although food insecurity and malnutrition remain high. Some 3.26 million people remain vulnerable in spite of a general improvement in cereal production. The food security situation for the marketing year ending March 2010 shows a regional cereal surplus of 476,000 tonnes compared to the 1.78 million tonnes deficit during the previous year. The SADC Council of Ministers meeting in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, held at end of February received this report from the Ministers responsible for Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. Council noted that, while there have been good rains in some parts of the region, patches of poor rains have been recorded in other parts such as the south-eastern half of the region, resulting in crop stress and in some cases, crop failure. The affected areas are southern Madagascar, southern and central Mozambique, eastern Botswana, southern Zimbabwe, southern tip of Malawi, southern Lesotho, and the southern half of South Africa. Council has urged Member States to closely monitor the developing rainfall situation, and take measures to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change and avoid hunger and malnutrition. These measures should include the promotion of noncereal crop production such as cassava, plantain and other traditional, nutritional foods. Council approved the establishment of the Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA) to coordinate agricultural research, technology generation and dissemination of research information. The establishment of a subregional organization for this purpose is part of the implementation of the SADC Multi-country Agricultural Productivity Programme (MAPP) whose objective is to promote agricultural production and productivity with the aim of reducing food insecurity in the region. SADC Ministers also discussed climate change and the failure to reach global consensus at the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP 15) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change held in Denmark in December Council urged the relevant sectoral ministers to develop a comprehensive SADC Strategy on Climate Change, with the assistance of the Secretariat, in preparation for the COP 16 meeting to be held in Mexico in December On gender issues, Council noted fund-raising efforts for projects to address genderbased violence, particularly in conflict and post-conflict zones, and to facilitate gender mainstreaming in peacemaking, peacekeeping and postconflict reconstruction and rehabilitation. The SADC Women Economic Empowerment Programme is being strengthened, especially regarding capacity building, exchange programmes and synergybuilding initiatives for women in Member States. Council also discussed, among other things, the termination of the Western Power Corridor Project (Westcor), whose aim was to develop the Inga III power project in DRC, and the alternative development of a new project with a mandate to exploit alternative schemes. The SADC Consultative Conference 2010 will be held in Lesotho in October under the theme of Global Economic and Financial Crisis: Impact on and Lessons for SADC Regional Economic Integration. The two-day conference is held every two years as a forum for consultation by SADC Member States with international cooperating partners and civil society. The objective of the 2010 Consultative Conference is to establish the impact of the global financial and economic crisis on the SADC region, and determine responses. Council also approved the 2010/11 Corporate Business Plan and budget for the implementation of the SADC prioritized programme in line with the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan and the Strategic Indicative Plan for the Organ. The approved SADC budget for 2010/11 amounts to just over US$66 million, of which 44 percent will be founded by the annual contributions from Member States and 55 percent through financing agreements with development partners. The remaining one percent of the budget will be funded from other sources such as bank interest. r Movement of people and goods across borders SADC COUNCIL of Ministers discussed the preparations for a SADC Customs Union and concluded that the 2010 timetable for establishment of the customs union is unattainable, despite the substantial work done by technical working groups, and that more work needs to be done. With respect to the SADC Free Trade Area, Council urged Member States to finalize the remaining tasks in order to maximize benefits to be accrued from it, and pledged to work simultaneously towards establishing the COMESA-EAC- SADC Free Trade Area while accelerating efforts towards the establishment of the Customs Union. With respect to the movement of people across borders, Council noted that significant progress has been achieved towards putting in place a one-entry visa into the SADC region by non-sadc citizens as opposed to the current situation where a visitor is issued with separate visas by each Member State. The first phase of this process towards a Univisa, including revenue sharing modalities, was completed in December The second phase beginning in March 2010 involves the development and procurement of software for five Member States and the Secretariat for participation in a Pilot Study and implementation. On visa exemptions for the movement of nationals between Member States, Council noted the significantly improved status of visa exemptions with only three countries yet to conclude visa exemption requirements with the other 12 Member States. r SOUTHERN AFRICA Today 3

4 A G R I C U L T U R E Seed project to boost regional food security THE LAUNCH of a four-year project to support the SADC Harmonized Seed Regulatory System is expected to help boost regional food security in southern African. The Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANR- PAN) announced the US$4.1 million support in February Mozambique to export rice by 2015 MOZAMBIQUE MAY become a cereal exporter by 2015, when the country achieves food self-sufficiency, a government official has said. A senior advisor in the Ministry of Agriculture, Ventura Macamo, said Mozambique has the capacity to boost production following recent commitments by Japan and Brazil to provide technical and financial support. The government would like to end the deficit in rice production, Macamo said. We believe that five years of good investment can probably make the country self-sufficient. Mozambique consumes about 500,000 tonnes of rice, but produces only 260,000 tonnes and depends on imports to make up for the shortfall. Exports from Mozambique could heighten competition in the world rice market, currently dominated by Thailand and Vietnam, besides helping to eradicate poverty and malnutrition in southern Africa and the African continent. Japan and Brazil recently began a project that aims to transform Mozambique's tropical savannah into farmland. (Macauhub) r under the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. This follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for the implementation of the SADC Harmonized Seed Regulatory System by Ministers responsible for Agriculture and Food Security in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, in February. The SADC Harmonized Seed Regulatory System aims among other things to improve seed trade and increase the availability of high quality seed to farmers in the region. The system facilitates easier movement of seed between SADC countries and will make more varieties of seed available throughout the region. It also seeks to integrate small THE WORLDWIDE pace of deforestation has slowed down for the first time, according to a recent report released by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The FAO report says that with a total forest area of about four billion hectares, the world has lost 13 million hectares of forests per year between 2000 and 2010 down from around 16 million per year in the period For the first time, we are able to show that the rate of deforestation has decreased globally as a result of concerted efforts taken both at local and international level, FOA assistant director general in forestry, Eduardo Rojas said. New forests are being created, either through the expansion of forests or more Cereal crops are grown in most SADC countries isolated national seed markets into one large SADC market. The system has been developed through a consultative process and represents a direct response of the Member States to the low availability and limited access by farmers in the region to key agricultural inputs. FANRPAN said its four year project would thus focus on smallscale farmers who have limited resources and face challenges in sourcing seed of high quality. Global pace of deforestation slows: FAO rapidly through the planting of trees. Planted forests now account for about seven percent of global forests, the report says. Over the 10-year period, Asia registered a net gain of some 2.2 million hectares annually in the last decade, mainly because of largescale afforestation programmes in China, India and Vietnam. However, Rojas warned that the rate of deforestation is still very high in many countries and the area of primary forest forests undisturbed by human activity continues to decrease. The highest annual losses were registered in South America, which lost four million hectares, and Africa, which lost 3.4 million hectares. The overall objective of the project is to contribute to improved food security and poverty reduction through increased seed security and better disaster preparedness in the SADC region. Special attention would be put on country-level implementation with FANRPAN leveraging on its partnerships and scaling up the project regionwide to include COMESA the East African Community, and continent-wide through the African Union. FANRPAN said it is piloting the project in four countries Malawi, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Liberalization of seed trade is set to benefit African smallholder farmers by improving seed availability, access and affordability. r Forest area remained stable in North and Central America, while in Europe it continued to expand, although at a slower rate than in the past. FAO also highlighted the fact that the slowdown is helping to bring down carbon emissions. r The global rate of deforestation is decreasing 4 SOUTHERN AFRICA Today, April 2010

5 T R A D E A N D I N V E S T M E N T Zambia seals US$ 3.5 billion investment deal ZAMBIA HAS signed a US$3.6 billion investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (IPPA) with a Chinese private mining company. Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Felix Mutati signed the deal on behalf of the Zambian government while Zhongui mining group chairman, Yaohui Wang, signed for his company. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Mutati said the government will remain committed to attracting more Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the country. Copper and gold are some of Zambia s minerals He said this is why the government is aiming at increasing investment by focusing on South-South investment which includes countries such as India, China and those in the Middle East. He said Zambia should attract more Chinese investment as it has become the biggest investor, especially in countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States of America. The Minster added that the US$3.6 billion investment would go a long way in creating more jobs for the locals as well as boosting national development. He commended the Chinese company for showing confidence in investing in Zambia when many companies in the world were curtailing investments and others have been laying off workers. Mutati further noted that government has since embarked on some reforms to address challenges being faced by investors in doing business in the county. Zhougui lauded the government for approving the IPPA, adding that this would attract more Chinese firms to the country. He said the company would focus on copper and other minerals and set up firms in the North Western and Copperbelt provinces. (ZANIS) r Mozambique economy set for growth THE MOZAMBICAN government has set a target for economic growth this year of 6.2 per cent, much the same as the 6.1 per cent growth rate recorded in Introducing the 2010 Economic and Social Plan in Mozambique's parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, Prime Minister Aires Ali said the country should export goods to a value of $2.142 billion, which would be a ten per cent increase on the 2009 figure. Agriculture is set to raise the economy of Mozambique in 2010 The government's target is to restrict average annual inflation to no more than 9.5 per cent. Inflation in 2009 was 3.3 per cent, the lowest since the transition from a planned to a market economy began in However, this low figure was in part due to a fuel subsidy that pegged fuel prices to their March 2009 level. The fuel subsidy is being removed, and the government has also unfrozen water and electricity prices. Nonetheless, Ali did not believe that this would lead to runaway inflation. Growth in 2010 will be heavily dependent on agriculture. The target is for a growth in agricultural production of 11.9 per cent - but this figure already looks compromised because of the drought that has hit large areas of southern and central Mozambique. The other major area of growth is the extractive industries. The target here is for a leap of 41.7 per cent. This is based THE ANGOLAN economic indicators remained stable in 2009, with a real growth rate of 2.7 percent, as a result of the expansion of the non-oil sector. This information is contained in a report on the implementation of the main macro-economic and structural management measures in the year. Approved in March by the Standing Commission of the Cabinet Council, the report shows that the oil sector has suffered a contraction of 5.1 percent. on increased exploitation of natural gas, greater production of titanium ores from the Moma heavy mineral sands in Nampula province, and the start of large-scale coal mining operations in Tete province. Electricity production is planned to rise by 13.9 per cent, transport and communications by 9.2 per cent (largely because of the reconstruction of the Sena rail line between Beira and the Moatize coal basin), government services by 11.9 per cent, and trade by 7.4 per cent. Manufacturing is expected to grow by 3.4 per cent, fisheries by 4.1 per cent, and construction by 4.1 per cent. r Economic indicators remain stable in Angola The accumulated inflation in 2009 was at 13.9 percent (slightly above the estimated 12.5 percent) and recorded an accumulated depreciation of the national currency by 19 percent on Luanda's informal market. The Standing Commission approved a programme for the main macro-economic and structural management measures for this year, and its executive macro-economic programming, including the Treasury's financial programming for the second quarter of (AngolaPress) r SOUTHERN AFRICA Today 5

6 INFRASTRUCTURE Kavango-Zambezi to be world's biggest transfrontier park A NEW conservation area spanning five countries in southern Africa will be the world's largest transfrontier park. Situated in the Okavango and Zambezi river basins where the borders of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe converge, the Kavango-Zambezi Trans Frontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA) covers an area of some 287,000 square kilometres. When established it will include a total of 36 protected areas including national parks, game reserves, community conservancies and game management areas. The area boasts numerous attractions such as the Victoria Falls on the Zambezi river between Zambia and Zimbabwe, San Rock paintings in Botswana, and the massive wildlife population in the region. This high concentration of attractions is expected to create an entirely new assortment of tourism opportunities in southern Africa but also present opportunities for socio-economic development in the SADC region and deeper integration among Member States. The signing by Zimbabwe of its Integrated Development Plan (IDP) has signalled another major step towards the creation of the KAZA TFCA. To ensure the project becomes a reality, the five countries have been actively engaged in consultations to establish a sound foundation for the KAZA TFCA. The first major step was initiated in December 2006 when Ministers responsible for Tourism and Natural Resources gathered in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe to sign a groundbreaking Memorandum of Understanding to develop the conservation area. Each participating country was then expected to develop its own components of the integrated development plan to ensure the smooth implementation of the project. The IDP serves as a summary of the needs and expectations of stakeholders in each country. It also forms the basis of the support that lead agencies such as parks and wildlife management authorities would provide towards achieving the objectives of the TFCA. As a broad and strategic guideline document, the IDP could be used as a reference for detailed conservation planning initiatives for the national parks, safari areas, forestry areas, and communal areas. Zambia was the first country to develop its component of the IDP in June Zimbabwe completed its IDP in February 2010, making it the second participating country to do so. The Zimbabwean Environment and Natural Resources Minister, Francis Nhema, said the remaining countries are expected to complete their IDP soon, adding that Angola has made significant progress in this regard. The Botswana and Namibia IDPs would follow, paving the way for an integrated development plan for the whole area in advance of the signing of an international ROAD TRAFFIC in Luanda is expected to improve by the second half of 2011, with the conclusion of a programme of restructuring of tertiary roads of the country's capital city underway since State Secretary for Construction Joanes André revealed this during an assessment visit to the road infrastructures department. treaty by the five presidents and eventually the official opening of the park. Nhema said that the five presidents are expected to put their signatures to the treaty in a few months time to formally establish the KAZA TFCA. He said the establishment of transfrontier conservation areas should ensure that tourism opportunities in the region complement each other, adding that when such attractions are marketed as a joint regional eco-tourism destination, they make a far more attractive option to prospective tourists from within and outside the region who are looking for a range of opportunities and experiences. The establishment of the KAZA TFCA is expected to be a new benchmark for southern Africa to strengthen regional projects and promote more transfrontier parks in the region. Other cross-border parks already established include the Greater Limpopo TFCA which straddles Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe; Maiombe Forest TFCA that involves Angola, Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo; and the Liuwa Plain/Mussuma, which includes Angola and Zambia. r Angola aims to improve road network by 2011 He said roads to be repaired include the Luanda/Viana, Cacuaco/Viana, Luanda/Kifangondo and Refinaria de Luanda as well as the other construction projects. Angola has over the last years been engaged in national reconstruction following the long spell of a civil war that ended in (AngolaPress) r 6 SOUTHERN AFRICA Today, April 2010

7 E N V I R O N M E N T CITES rejects extension of the ban on ivory trade by Egline Tauya SOUTHERN AFRICA successfully lobbied against the proposal by Kenya and some other central and east African countries to extend the period of no ivory trade from nine to 20 years. The 15th Conference of Parties (COP) to the Convention on the Trade in Endangered Species, which was held in Doha, Qatar, rejected a proposal by the Kenya-led group regarding the populations of African elephants in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. The group had proposed that no further proposals concerning trade in products from African elephants, including proposals to downlist elephant populations from Appendix I to Appendix II, shall be submitted to the COP for the period from COP 14 and ending 20 years from the date of the single last sale of ivory that took place in November Appendix I species are those threatened with extinction, and are or may be affected by international trade, while Appendix II species are not necessarily threatened, but may become so unless international trade is subject to strict regulations. Had the proposal gone through this could have meant extending the period to consider the possibility of a next ivory trade from 2017 to CITES had previously allowed Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe to sell some stocks of ivory to Japan, in 1997, 2002 and For these countries, it could have been increasingly difficult to undertake conservation efforts in the event that an extension to the moratorium was imposed because the current elephant populations markedly exceeds the countries' carrying capacity. For example, according to the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, the country has 100,000 elephants yet the holding capacity is 45,000. Another proposal by Kenya and its allies for the removal of a paragraph in the CITES Appendices that allows trade in individually marked and certified ivory carvings incorporated into jewellery for non-commercial purposes for Namibia and Zimbabwe, was also rejected. The ban would have meant that the ivory held in the countries' stocks would deteriorate gradually in value, while maintenance costs continue to rise. Separate proposals by the United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia to downlist their elephants from Appendix I to Appendix II were both rejected. The ivory stocks that the two nations wanted to sell come from natural deaths or controlled culling of problem animals. Tanzania was asking to sell almost 90,000 kg of ivory that would have generated as much as US$20 million. Its proposal noted that the elephant population in Tanzania has risen from about 55,000 in 1989 to almost 137,000, according to a 2007 study. Zambia wanted to sell 21,700 kg of ivory worth between US$4 million and US$8 million. It withdrew a request for the ivory sale and offered a compromise to allow a regulated trade in elephant parts excluding ivory a first step towards future tusk sales. The two countries argued that their elephant populations had reached the point where they were trampling crops and killing people in addition to destroying habitats of other animals. They added that preventing them from selling the stocks would increase anger towards the beasts, which are seen increasingly as a danger by the affected communities. However, key to the defeat of the two proposals were concerns among many delegates and environmentalists that the sales would further exacerbate a poaching problem that some say is at its highest levels since the 1989 ivory ban. It is believed that some countries were secretly relabelling poached ivory tusks as natural mortality to enable sales, a move that is in direct contravention of CITES rules. Environmentalists welcomed the decision, which came on the same day that countries agreed on a conservation plan for the African and Asian rhinoceros. The proposal put forward by Kenya to strengthen the resolution to end illegal trade in rhino parts and derivatives, was supported by southern African countries including Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, Countries whose citizens are implicated in illegal trade in rhino horns assured the conference of their commitment to end the illegal trade in rhino horn and agreed to report at future conferences on their efforts to end illegal trade in rhino parts. Ivory trade can be a threat to elephant populations The delegates agreed to focus on increasing law enforcement, training of guards, better border surveillance, enhanced rhino monitoring and awareness campaigns in consumer countries. Currently the world's black rhino population is estimated at 4,200, and that of white rhinos at 17,000, the conference noted. Rhinos are poached for their horns, mainly for use in traditional medicine in some communities in Asia and the Middle East. CITES is an international agreement between governments whose aim is to ensure that international trade in species of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. It was negotiated in 1973 when it was realized that international trade in wildlife and wildlife products could lead to the over-exploitation of certain species, thereby threatening them with extinction. The 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention was held from March. The next conference, COP 16, is scheduled for 2013 in Thailand. r SOUTHERN AFRICA Today 7

8 T O W A R D S FIFA World Cup Soccer Finals here Power to football South African government says no blackouts during the World Cup soccer finals SOUTH AFRICAN Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe has guaranteed that there will be no electricity blackouts during the 2010 Soccer World Cup finals. South Africa has suffered severe power shortages in recent years, especially those in early 2008 that badly hit the mining industry, but Motlanthe is confident that the lights will stay on during Africa's first World Cup in June-July, a period that coin- Zambia to power 2010 finals cides with peak winter electricity demand. Responding to questions in the National Council of Provinces, Motlanthe said Eskom has assured government and FIFA that there will be no power interruptions. Motlanthe said he is confident that steps already taken around the country will enable the management of electricity demand during the event. He told MPs that coal stocks have been replenished and the summer maintenance programme is running smoothly. All stadiums will run on diesel generators. The electricity grid will serve as backup, Motlanthe said. We are confident that these instruments, among others, will enable the country to manage electricity consumption demand during the peak winter period that coincides with the hosting of the 2010 World Cup. (sa2010.gov.za) r ZAMBIA HAS agreed to supply additional power to South Africa to help to avoid disruptions during the 2010 Soccer World Cup, the national power utility has said. This is in line with a regional decision made by SADC Ministers responsible for Energy at their meeting in 2009 to provide surplus power to South Africa during the finals scheduled for June-July. The acting Managing Director of ZESCO, Cyprian Chitundu, told the state television broadcaster ZNBC that Zambia will supply power to South Africa and the quantity will depend on Zambia's surplus capacity as well as demand from South Africa. We support each other with South Africa (and) what is going to happen is that when they need some power, we will be able to give them that power, Chitundu said. But I have also realized that we are constrained and so, we are only going to give them power during the off-peak hours when we do not need so much power. He said the decision to export power to Africa's biggest economy followed a recent meeting held between the two countries. At that meeting, we showed them our commitment that we will be able to support them, he said. Zambia generates about 1,400 Megawatts (MW) of Joint visa for six SADC countries A GROUP of six SADC Member States have taken steps to introduce a single visa to visitors from outside the region coming for the Soccer World Cup finals in South Africa. According to the Permanent Secretary in Mozambique's Ministry of Tourism, Fernanda Matsinha, the single visa will be a pilot phase of the SADC Univisa initially covering Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, South electricity and consumes an average of about 800 MW but demand rises to 1,500 MW at peak times. South Africa, like most southern African countries, is experiencing power shortages that date back to However, the SADC region through the Southern African Power Pool has resolved to assist with additional supply to ensure the success of this important event. r Africa, Swaziland and Zimbabwe. The visa is to be introduced by June, so that tourists visiting South Africa for the football World Cup will be able to take advantage of it and visit the neighbouring states. The Univisa is aimed at tourists from Europe and the United States, giving them greater flexibility in the dates for entering and leaving each of the countries participating in the scheme. (AIM) r 8 SOUTHERN AFRICA Today, April 2010

9 T O W A R D S on African soil Southern Africa gripped by World Cup fever THE RECENT handing over of the newly built Soccer City Stadium to the Mayor of Johannesburg further illustrated South Africa's preparedness to host the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup finals starting on 11 June. The iconic calabash design of the R3.2 billion stadium is the venue for the opening ceremony as well as the first and final games of the 2010 World Cup finals. FIFA: Stadiums will be full THE WORLD football's governing body is expecting a spectator turnout of about percent for the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup similar to numbers achieved in Germany in FIFA is also confident that more than 300,000 tickets left for the tournament will be sold out before kick-off on 11 June. Addressing the media in Zurich, FIFA president Sepp With a capacity of more than 90,000, the stadium is rated the best in Africa and competes with the best in the world. Construction of the stadium said its completion has proved critics wrong, and South Africa is now ready to host millions of soccer fans expected to attend the world soccer finals. Like an African calabash that securely stores food and drink, this calabash-inspired Blatter said that judging by the tickets sales and the excitement around Africa's first World Cup, there is no reason to set numbers below what was achieved in Germany. He said more than 200,000 tickets have been sold in the first eight days of the latest sales phase. If we can sell so many tickets in eight days, what can stop us from selling 300,000 in the next days left? Blatter, who played an instrumental role in bringing the tournament to Africa, said the excitement shown by South Africans towards the tournament over the past weeks has made him even more confident. Millions of South Africans have risen to the occasion by taking part in several initiatives aimed at boosting the country's image as a soccerloving nation. These include the Football Fridays initiative, which Blatter described as phenomenal and the Fly the Flag for Football campaign organized by the Local Organizing Committee. (BuaNews) r stadium will securely hold almost 90,000 fans who will witness the opening match of the World Cup, said Roger Jardine, Chief Executive of Aveng Group, the company that built the stadium. According to the 2010 organizing committee, the stadium will from April host a number of test events, including a series of international friendly matches featuring South Africa. In addition to the first and final World Cup matches, AWARD-WINNING artists including Alicia Keys, Black Eyed Peas, John Legend and Shakira are expected to share the stage at the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup celebration concert on 10 June, which is billed as the greatest entertainment show in Africa. Other artists who will take to the stage at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto on the eve of the kick-off to the soccer finals include well-known African artists Amadou and Mariam, Angelique Kidjo and Vusi Mahlasela. The show is expected to feature football legends and celebrities. The historic music event is expected to have a capacity crowd of 30,000 people in the stadium and will be broadcast to millions across the globe. FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke said they are thrilled to have a concert of such magnitude with talented musicians raising the curtain for the first World Cup in Africa. Soccer City is expected to host at least five first-round matches, one second-round match and one quarter final. To ensure that the stadium does not become a white elephant after the World Cup, the Johannesburg municipality has appointed the company National Stadium South Africa to manage it. The company will run community programmes on HIV and Aids, catering, security management and stewarding at the stadium. r Massive musical concert to kick off World Cup It is testament to the universal and unifying power of football and music, and will start the competition off on the right note of celebration, he said. FIFA has selected awardwinning producer Kevin Wall and his company Control Room to organize and produce the concert. Control Room has masterminded some of the world's biggest and most complex events, such as Live Earth 2007, which featured 150 artists performing on seven continents over the course of 24 hours to raise awareness about climate change. All proceeds will be donated to 20 Centres for 2010, the official campaign of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, whose aim is to achieve positive social change through football by building centres across Africa offering education, healthcare services and football training to disadvantaged communities. (BuaNews) r SOUTHERN AFRICA Today 9

10 E N E R G Y SADC oil companies need to collaborate to ensure stable fuel supplies THE SOUTH African department of energy has urged national oil companies in southern Africa to collaborate to ensure security of fuel supplies in the region amid withdrawal of oil majors from certain countries. Decisions by BP and Shell to withdraw from the marketing and retail markets in some countries have opened up opportunities for national oil companies to emerge as key players in downstream activity, which includes the selling and distribution of refined petroleum products. There has been a shift by some oil companies from the low-margin downstream sector to the more lucrative upstream activity, which includes the recovery and production of crude oil. BP earlier this month announced its intention to sell marketing businesses in Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, Tanzania and Zambia. The company decided to retain assets in Mozambique and South Africa. Shell has divested from several African countries. Speaking at a recent oil and gas conference in Cape Town, South Africa's Director- General in the energy ministry, Nelisiwe Magubane, said the divestment of the companies had serious implications for southern Africa. Is it not perhaps time for national oil companies such as our very own PetroSA and Sonangol (Angola's national oil company) to collaborate and look at regional approaches to these challenges? she asked. Is it not the right thing to do in order to ensure the region's security of supply is indeed guaranteed despite the massive blow which is dealt by these withdrawals? We, as a region, need to start looking at the regional infrastructure for oil and gas that goes across our borders. Magubane said it was perhaps prudent to construct regional oil and gas infrastructure pipelines in order to reduce the effect of the movement of big trucks on the roads. PetroSA has said that production from its proposed 400,000 barrels-a-day crude oil refinery in Coega will exceed South Africa's fuel requirements and the excess capacity will be exported to neighbouring countries. Magubane confirmed that South Africa will continue to use fossil fuels. If you are reading newspapers you will be forgiven for thinking that fossil fuels have no place in our country's needs. Africa has over 120 carbon market projects AFRICA HAS over 120 carbon market projects up and running or in at planning stage, in areas ranging from wind power to forestry schemes, according to a recent report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). However, in comparison to the rest of the world, the continent is still lagging behind in this regard, with the potential for clean and green energy largely under-exploited. The growth in Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects under the Kyoto Protocol remains uneven. The larger economies such as Egypt and South Africa have the most carbon market projects, with 32 and 13 respectively. However, Kenya and Uganda are catching up fast. The number of projects at operational or planning stages has jumped from two in 2007, to 15 and 12 respectively. Many other African countries such as Cameroon, Madagascar, Mali and Zambia have only one or two. Equatorial Guinea and several other countries have none. UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director, Achim Steiner, said the growth of the carbon markets in Africa are both causes for optimism, and causes for concern. On the one hand, the work of UNEP and a myriad of other partners on capacity building, catalyzing finance and other barrier-breaking initiatives have been bearing fruit among an ever wider range of countries. But in order to realize only a few percentage points more of the massive potential for wind, solar, biomass and waste-into-energy schemes, action across a range of challenges needs to be stepped up, he added. Steiner said this requires more support from organizations such as the UN, regional development banks and international funding and donor bodies. However, there is also more that the private national and trans-national banks and individual governments can do to make clean energy investments more attractive through Cars filling up at a service station The reality is the opposite in that we are going to work flat out to ensure that we ramp up the use of renewables in our energy mix. However, we will simultaneously continue to use fossil fuels as we search for ways in which we can reduce the impact of greenhouse gas emissions. (Business Day) r innovative loans and forwardlooking policies and smart market mechanisms. Steiner cited the case of Kenya where the introduction of a feed-in tariff (a policy mechanism designed to encourage the adoption of renewable energy sources) rapidly triggered interest by a consortium in establishing Africa's largest wind farm a 300MW scheme in the Turkana region in the north of the country. Under the Kyoto Protocol's CDM, developed economies can offset some of their emissions at home, by investing in developing country projects in areas such as renewable energy and forestry schemes. The projects can earn valuable, saleable credits called Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) whose value is linked to the traded price of carbon. The new Africa-wide assessment estimates that world-wide, close to 4,900 CDM projects are up and running or planned with by far the most in the big developing economies such as Brazil, China and India. r 10 SOUTHERN AFRICA Today, April 2010

11 E N E R G Y Portugal to dispose of Cahora Bassa stake With money from the past we are going to build the future PORTUGUESE PRIME Minister Jose Socrates has announced that his country intends to sell its remaining shares in Hidroelectrica de Cahora Bassa (HCB), the company that operates the gigantic Cahora Bassa dam on the Zambezi river. Until 2007 the Portuguese state owned 82 percent of HCB, while Mozambique held only 18 percent, and Portuguese directors were a majority on the board. Mozambique took control of the dam in November 2007 when it purchased 67 percent of the shares from Portugal, for a price of US$ 700 million. Mozambique now holds 85 percent of the shares in HCB and Portugal 15 percent. Speaking at a press conference in the town of Songo near the dam, after visiting Cahora Bassa, Socrates said, Yes, we are thinking of selling our shares in HCB, in a partnership between Mozambican and Portuguese companies. He said it no longer makes sense for the Portuguese government to hold shares in HCB, and the holding will be sold off in a way that allows Mozambican and Portuguese companies to become shareholders. It's important that Portuguese companies remain associated with HCB, he said, because we shall develop HCB together with the Mozambicans. During the visit, the Mozambican Finance Minister, Manuel Chang, and the Portuguese Secretary of State for the Treasury, Carlos Pina, signed an agreement concluding implementation of the Portuguese Investment Support Fund, one of the byproducts of the Mozambican purchase of HCB. Of the purchase price for the HCB shares, the Portuguese government held back US$124 million to set up the Investment Support Fund, which will also be used to develop alternative energy projects based on renewable sources. With money from the past, we are going to build the future, Socrates said. Regional trading system commissioned SOUTHERN AFRICAN countries have launched a more competitive regional energy trading system that is expected to boost the pooling of electricity across the region. Coordinated by the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP), the system was commissioned in December Only about five percent of all energy traded in southern Africa is in the short-term market, with prices set by the seller and administered by SAPP. The rest is exchanged via bilateral long-term contracts with fixed tariffs. Hence SAPP has introduced a more competitive system, where prices will be set based on demand and supply between the utilities in the countries where the power pool operates. The new system has the capacity to attract more players, including independent producers. A more flexible and active electricity trading pool could become a blueprint for the rest of the continent, where there is little trade in electricity. This could help Africa to battle acute power shortages by making excess capacity available. r During his four-day visit to Mozambique, eight other agreements were signed, including a double line of credit extended via the Portuguese state bank, the Caixa Geral de Depositos, from the 200 million (approx. US$272 million) agreed in 2008 to 400 million. An agreement on technical military cooperation envisages Portuguese assistance in setting up a Mozambique Botswana turns to biogas to improve energy access BOTSWANA IS exploring ways of harnessing biogas as an alternative source of energy for homes and industries throughout the country. Minerals, Energy and Water Resources Minister Ponatshego Kedikilwe said that the government has started exploring reliable energy sources through the Rural Industries Innovation Centre (RIIC) established in He was speaking at the demonstration of a biogas plant in Lobatse. Renewable energy sources have been found to be of vital importance in recent times due to an increased energy demand worldwide, he said, adding that biogas is preferred in rural areas where firewood is often the primary energy source. He said gas is cheap as it uses waste, such as cow dung, that is readily available at no cost and does not need regular maintenance. The minister said the use of biogas can help to preserve the environment and reduce practices such as deforestation that contribute to global warming. Institute of Higher Military Studies. A protocol between the Mozambican and Portuguese Ministries of Culture strengthens cooperation in theatre, music, dance, museums, archaeology, archives and much else, while cooperation between the two education ministries is aimed at creating libraries in Mozambican schools and encouraging reading habits among pupils. (AIM) r Using biogas prevents the emission of methane into the atmosphere while producing clean energy, thus contributing to climate protection. He said that biogas would improve security of supply and ensure self-sufficiency for the country. The demonstration was conducted to illustrate the practical use of biofuel. There are five biofuel plants in Botswana producing for homes and commercial use. Kedikilwe said plans are underway to set up another biogas plant in Mabesekwa village for cooking and electricity generation. The gas produced at the plant will be pipelined directly to the school kitchen for cooking through biogas stoves while some of it will be used to run a small generator to provide electricity to the classrooms. The gas will also be used to run a larger capacity generator to provide electricity for illumination of about 100 households and 20 street lights for a maximum of four hours a day in the evenings. (Mmegi) r SOUTHERN AFRICA Today 11

12 E D U C A T I O N SADC to harmonize qualifications University graduates celebrate upon achieving degrees SOUTH AFRICA'S Deputy President, Kgalema Motlanthe has urged developing countries to continue to work towards increasing their spending in the higher education sector. Speaking at recent Association of Commonwealth Universities Conference of Executive Heads, Motlanthe said universities should also strive to produce a new generation of scholars, researchers and thinkers to invigorate democracy. Universities should advance the public good by sustaining an informed and active citizenry, reducing economic marginalization and inequality, advancing science SOUTHERN AFRICA has taken another step towards the harmonization of its education system by approving the development of a Regional Qualifications Framework. The Regional Qualifications Framework (RQF) that was initiated a few years ago seeks among other things to enable SADC Member States to compare and recognize qualifications obtained in the region. In the long run, the establishment of a standardized educational system should promote deeper regional integration as it would help facilitate the movement of students and professionals in southern Africa. Meeting in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo recently, SADC Ministers responsible for Education and Training said a progress report on the development of the RQF would be presented at the next meeting scheduled for The ministers, however, noted that student mobility, especially in higher education across the region is good, saying that some Member States are already treating SADC students as locals in terms of tuition and accommodation. They recommended that this should be expanded to other areas to create an enabling environment for students to study anywhere in the region as pronounced by the SADC Protocol on Education and Training. The SADC Protocol on Education and Training, Motlanthe: Education is a priority and innovation, and ensuring qualitative progress in human development, he said. He said universities, as centres for the pursuit of knowledge and excellence, are key partners in monitoring progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and seeking innovative responses to the challenges identified in the process. None of these goals can be achieved, however, if our knowledge producers are not active participants in developing the necessary knowledge and values required for sustainable development. He added that inadequate capacity at universities affects signed by Heads of State and Government in 1997, seeks to establish a legal and institutional framework to promote regional integration in specific priority areas of education, training, research and development. The ministers also considered and adopted a progress report on the implementation of the SADC Regional Education and Training Implementation Plan. The plan integrates the seven priority areas of the African Union Second Decade Plan of Action and the Protocol on Education and Training, which aims to ensure education for all and promote gender equality in access to education. The meeting noted major trends in the provision of education and training in the region, the ministers said in a statement, adding that key reforms undertaken by Member States include expansion of early childhood both teaching and research, but the effects are especially adverse in the area of research. He said many governments in developing countries are not able to provide enough funding to universities because often they have to contend with other pressing priorities such as the provision of health care, basic education and basic services. Africa cannot achieve the development envisaged in the MDGs without increasing participation rates, deepening quality, and growing a vibrant new generation of researchers actively engaged with the social, scientific and economic challenges of the region, he said. r development and increasing the utilization of Open and Distance Learning as a strategy for training of teachers. However, the meeting noted that the region still faces challenges with access and gender equity in early childhood education, secondary education, technical and vocational education among others. To address some of the challenges, the meeting approved five policy and strategic frameworks in the areas of Education Management Information Systems (EMIS), Open and Distance Learning and Gender Mainstreaming. Other major decisions made at the meeting are the need to promote the use of the mother language as a medium of instruction in the first five years of primary education and that Member States should include statistics on private institutions in their educational data. The ministers also said the next study on regional monitoring of learner performance and achievement undertaken by the Southern African Consortium for Measurement and Quality of Education (SACMEQ) should include issues of environmental sustainability. The meeting of SADC Ministers responsible for Education and Training was held on March. DRC Vice-Prime Minister Simon Bulupy and SADC Deputy Executive Secretary for Regional Integration João Samuel Caholo were some of the guests who attended the two-day meeting. r 12 SOUTHERN AFRICA Today, April 2010

13 Commission on the Status of Women Fifteen years after the World Conference on Women in Beijing; a review THE COMMISSION on the Status of Women met in New York in March to review implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA). The accountability process agreed at the Fourth World Women Conference in 1995 in China requires that Member States of the United Nations meet for review at five-year intervals with a view to fine tuning and remapping such progress in line with global and local situations. The Africa regional review of Beijing +15 focused on progress in the 12 thematic areas, and was drawn from a survey conducted by the UN Economic Commission for Africa with responses from 41 of the 53 African countries. The survey identified education as one of the successes in Africa, largely attributable to the institution of free and compulsory primary basic education by many governments. Governments have also made attempts to eliminate barriers that hinder boys and girls' access to education. While there is impressive progress at primary level, the picture is more mixed at secondary and tertiary levels, where both males and females face obstacles in enrolment and retention, the report said. Gender disparities in enrolment and literacy are narrowing, but more remains to be done. Illiteracy rates among women remain high in many countries, and disparities between men and women persist. Among other areas reviewed were women and the economy, health, violence against women, governance, and so on. The Africa report noted that one of the successes at subregional level in this period was the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development, signed by Heads of State and Government in 2008, and now in the process of ratification and domestication. The Protocol has so far been ratified by Namibia and Zimbabwe, and needs ratification by 10 Member States before it enters into force. Among the key issues discussed at the March review in New York was the evolving status and role of national machineries for gender equality, as well as gender budgeting and mainstreaming. The report on an interactive session said, National mechanisms for gender equality continue to face constraints and challenges in the implementation of their mandates, including inadequate human and financial resources. In some cases, national mechanisms are marginalized within the Governmental structure and subject to frequent changes in organizational settings. Capacity for coordination, monitoring and accountability remain weak, and lack of political support also constrains their effectiveness. The discussion noted that, The availability of research, sex-disaggregated data and gender-sensitive indicators can greatly enhance targeted policy development and implementation, as well as effective monitoring and evaluation. National machineries should encourage collection of such data and information, and should work more closely with national statistical offices in the development of methodologies and to expand their role in ensuring the availability of data disaggregated by sex and other variables. A paper delivered in New York by gender specialist Mary Rusimbi, who is Chairperson of the Tanzania Gender Networking Programme, said that gender-responsive budgeting has increasingly been recognized as a significant tool for making gender mainstreaming happen at the level of (macro) economic policymaking. Gender-responsive budgeting is defined as an application of gender mainstreaming in the budgetary process. It means conducting a gender-based assessment of G E N D E R budgets, incorporating a gender perspective at all levels of the budgetary process and restructuring revenues and expenditures in order to promote gender equality. SADC Member States with Domestic Violence legislation in place for Legislation Year Botswana Domestic Violence Act 2007 Madagascar An Act to Punish Violence Against Women 2000 Malawi Prevention of Domestic Violence Act 2006 Mauritius Protection from Domestic Violence Act 1991 Mozambique Law Against Domestic Violence 2009 Namibia Combating of Domestic Violence Act 2003 South Africa Domestic Violence Act 1998 Zimbabwe The Prevention of Domestic Violence and Protection of Victims of Domestic Violence Act 2007 Source: A Fifteen Year Review of the Implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action in Africa +15 from , ECA Main Report, November 2009 Towards 50/50 by 2015 SADC Regional Framework for Accelerating the Achievement of the 50% Target of Women Representation in Politics and Decision-making Positions at All Levels by 2015 RELATIVE TO other regions, SADC has performed impressively since the 1995 Beijing Conference, with the successes being used as benchmarks and lessons for other regions. However, a lot still needs to be done to translate the commitments into practice. This was the conclusion of a review presented by the SADC Senior Programme Officer for Gender to the meeting of Ministers responsible for Gender and Women Affairs. The review noted that the most recent development in this regard was the incorporation of the 50/50 target of women representation in politics and decision- making positions in the SADC gender protocol. The status of women representation in politics and decision-making as presented at the 2009 Summit of Heads of State and Government shows that: F South Africa ranks highest in the region in representation of women in Parliament with 45%, and is third in the global ranking, surpassed only F F F F by Rwanda 56% and Sweden 47%. Angola saw a great improvement in gender representation in Parliamentary elections in 2008 when the number of women increased to 81, almost 37 per cent of the 220 seats in the National Assembly. Angola is now among the top three in the region, behind South Africa at 45% and Mozambique 37%, and ahead of Namibia 31% and Tanzania just over 30%. At ministerial level, South Africa leads with 42%, while Lesotho and Angola have both achieved 32.2%. For deputy ministers, Lesotho has a women representation of 60%, South Africa 39%, and Malawi and Mozambique both 30%. The SADC region has reached the third highest percentage of women in politics, at the Parliamentary level, with 20%, a figure surpassed only by the Nordic countries with 40.8% and the Americas at 21.4%. SADC's average percentage of women in Parliament is higher than the world average of 18.5%, the Sub-Saharan average of 18.6%, Asia at 18.4%, the Pacific at 15.2%, and that of the Arab States (9.1%) which is the lowest. r SOUTHERN AFRICA Today 13

14 P E A C E & S E C U R I T Y SADC appoints team of facilitators to Lesotho SADC HAS appointed a team of facilitators to work with the Christian Council (CCL) of Lesotho to find a lasting solution to the political situation in the country. The SADC Troika of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security made the announcement at a meeting in Maseru, Lesotho. The team of facilitators and the CCL should among other things produce a roadmap on how the country could address its challenges. The roadmap shall be submitted to the Chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation [Mozambican President Armando Guebuza]... and will form the basis for the monitoring of the progress achieved in the postelectoral political dialogue, the Troika said in a statement. Major contentious issues and how to handle them should be addressed by the roadmap, including the allocation of responsibilities among the different stakeholders. The roadmap is also expected to recommend a timeframe to review the constitution and the electoral law in preparation for general elections scheduled for Lesotho plunged into a political impasse following the February 2007 parliamentary elections that saw several opposition parties challenge the manner in which seat allocations were made by the Independent Electoral Commission. Lesotho uses the Mixed- Member Proportional (MMP) electoral system that combines elements of both the First- Past-the-Post (FPTP) and Proportional Representation (PR) systems. A total of 80 seats in the 120 member parliament are filled using the FPTP and are tied to specific constituencies while the remaining 40 are filled using the PR in order to ensure each party's number of AU sanctions on Rajoelina government in Madagascar THE AFRICAN Union has imposed sanctions on Madagascan leader Andry Rajoelina who seized power from President Marc Ravalomanana in March 2009 in a public demonstration backed by the military. The sanctions, which came into force on 17 March 2010, include travel bans, freezing of funds and other financial assets and economic resources, as well as diplomatic isolation, against Rajoelina and key members of his party. The African Union calls upon all Member States to extend their full cooperation to the implementation of these sanctions. Multilateral organisations such as the United Nations and European Union should also support this decision and refrain from any actions that could undermine the efforts of the AU to restore constitutional order in Madagascar. Madagascar's political crisis re-emerged last year when Rajoelina seized power from President Ravalomanana in a public demonstration backed by the military, similar to the method used by Ravalomanana when he seized power a few years earlier from his predecessor, Didier Ratsiraka. In an effort to address the situation, SADC initiated peace talks led by former legislative seats more or less reflects its proportion of the national vote. In the 2007 elections, the ruling Lesotho Congress of Democracy (LCD) that had gone into a coalition with the National Independence Party (NIP) won 61 of the directly contested constituencies. Its main challenger, the All Basotho Convention (ABC), which also entered into a coalition with the Lesotho Workers Party (LWP), came second with 17 seats. The Alliance of Congress Parties got one seat. The LCD and the ABC made arrangements with smaller parties whereby the larger parties contested only the constituencies and the smaller parties submitted only party lists for the compensatory seats; even though these lists also included members of the larger party. In such an arrangement, the NIP was allocated 21 compensatory seats giving the Mozambican leader Joaquim Chissano in which Rajoelina and Ravalomanana with two other former presidents including Ratsiraka agreed to establish a transitional government to run the country until fresh elections to be held in However, implementation of this agreement faltered and the AU identified Rajoelina as being the main culprit hence the imposition of sanctions. The AU said it will continue to work together with SADC and other regional and international organisations to find a solution. SADC suspended Madagascar in r alliance 82 seats in the National Assembly, or 68.3 percent of the seats while the LWP was allocated 10 compensatory seats giving the alliance 27 seats or 22.5 percent of the seats. However, several opposition parties argued that the Independent Electoral Commission should have taken into consideration that the larger parties had gone into a coalition and should therefore be treated as such. Redistribution of seats on this basis would have resulted in the LCD/NIP losing a number of seats and having its majority in parliament reduced. All the other parties would gain seats. The ABC/LWP would gain two seats and become the second largest grouping in the parliament and attain the status of official opposition. Other opposition parties, including the New Lesotho Freedom Party, which is not represented in parliament, would have also gained seats. A total of 19 political parties took part in the February 2007 elections. SADC has said the Basotho people should, regardless of their differences, commit themselves towards resolving their problems through dialogue. Summit Troika calls upon all stakeholders to the post-electoral political dialogue to ensure their availability and full participation in the process leading to finding a lasting solution to the challenges facing the country, placing the interests of the Basotho nation at heart, the Troika said, adding it would remain seized with the ongoing political dialogue. r 14 SOUTHERN AFRICA Today, April 2010

15 SADC TODAY Vol 12 No 3 April 2010 SOUTHERN AFRICA TODAY is produced as a reference source of activities and opportunities in the Southern African Development Community, and a guide for decision-makers at all levels of national and regional development. Southern African Development Community SADC Secretariat, SADC House, Private Bag 0095, Gaborone, Botswana Tel Fax / registry@sadc.int Website SOUTHERN AFRICATODAY is published six times a year by the Southern African Research and Documentation Centre (SARDC) for the SADC Secretariat in Gaborone, Botswana, as a reliable knowledge source on regional development. Articles may be reproduced freely in the media and elsewhere, with attribution. EDITOR Munetsi Madakufamba EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Kizito Sikuka, Egline Tauya, Leonissah Abwino-Munjoma Clever Mafuta, Phyllis Johnson, Patience Ziramba EDITORIAL ADVISOR Head of Corporate Communications Unit, SADC Leefa Penehupifo Martin SOUTHERN AFRICA TODAY is supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in support of the SADC Energy Thematic Group of International Cooperating Partners, which is chaired by Norway. SADC, SARDC, 2010 SOUTHERN AFRICA TODAY welcomes contributions from individuals and organizations within the SADC region in form of articles, photographs, news items and comments, and also relevant articles from outside the region. The publishers reserve the right to select or reject items, and to edit to fit the space available. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official positions or opinions of SADC or SARDC. SOUTHERN AFRICA TODAY is published in English, Portuguese and French, and is available electronically at Knowledge for Development, linked to DESIGN & LAYOUT Tonely Ngwenya PHOTOS AND ILLUSTRATIONS p1 Eskom; D Martin; T Ngwenya; P Ziramba; p4 p5 M Madakufamba; p6 D Martin; p7 D Martin; p8 p9 p10 T Ngwenya, P Ziramba; p12 p13 Economic Commission for Africa; p16 P Johnson Subscribe today SOUTHERN AFRICA TODAY is available through an annual subscription fee for six issues a year: US$55 outside Africa, including postage; US$40 within Africa; and US$30 in southern Africa. Your subscription will enable you to receive the newsletter by airmail or . For more details, please contact the Editor. Correspondence about this publication should be addressed to Southern African Research and Documentation Centre 15 Downie Avenue, Belgravia, Box 5690, Harare, Zimbabwe Tel / Fax sadctoday@sardc.net Knowledge for Development Thanks to the following airlines for assisting with distribution of Southern Africa Today: Air Botswana, Linhas Aeres de Moçambique, Air Namibia, South African Airways, Air Mauritius, TAAG Angolan Airlines and Air Zimbabwe EVENTS DIARY 2010 E V E N T S April 13-16, Zimbabwe African Union Ministers responsible for Youth African ministers responsible for Youth are meeting to discuss issues affecting youths on the continent, in preparation for the World Youth Conference in August. 21, Malawi SADC Ministers responsible of Tourism SADC Ministers meet to review the state of tourism and joint programmes for promotion, in preparation for the Soccer World Cup Finals in South Africa in June-July , Angola SADC Ministers responsible for Energy SADC Ministers responsible for Energy meet to review the regional energy planning programme to compliment the energy recovery roadmap established to address the power shortages facing the region , SADC Ministers for Employment and Labour Mozambique SADC Ministers responsible for employment and labour meet to discuss pertinent labour issues in the region. They will be joined by stakeholders including employers and works councils, and the ILO. May 1, China Shanghai World Expo 2010 The official opening of the biggest World Expo to date, in Shanghai, China. SADC Member States are participating through national business and cultural displays and activities in an Africa pavilion. More than 70 million visitors are expected to attend from May through October. 2-3, Tanzania Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD V) TICAD consultations between Japan and Africa facilitate the planning of programmes such as trade, agriculture and infrastructure development in Africa. The previous meeting was held two years ago in Japan. 4-5, Tanzania Meeting of Former Liberation Movements Six liberation movements from Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe meet to review current collaboration based on their common history of struggle against colonial rule and apartheid. 5, Mauritius Parliamentary elections in Mauritius Mauritians go to the polls to choose new members of parliament for the 70-seat unicameral assembly, in which 62 members are elected by direct vote in a block system and eight are drawn from a list of best losers. 5-7, Tanzania World Economic Forum Africa African leaders and the international business community meet in the United Republic of Tanzania to discuss challenges and opportunities. 6, Zimbabwe COMESA Ministers responsible for Gender and Women's Affairs Gender and Women's Affairs Ministers from COMESA meet to identify practical strategies for the economic empowerment of women entrepreneurs, under the theme Harnessing Science and Technology for Development: Bridging the Gender Digital Divide. 6-7, Angola Infrastructure Partnerships for African Development (ipad) The event seeks to provide a forum for governments, business, and regional and international organizations to meet and explore the opportunities for infrastructure development, trade and investment in Africa. 8-11, South Africa Tourism Indaba 2010 The annual tourism Indaba in Durban is the biggest tourism fair in Africa and showcases southern Africa's attractions for international buyers and agencies , Angola SADC Ministers for Telecommunication, Postal and ICT The meeting meeting to discuss regional infrastructures and other projects intended to support other sectors such as tourism, trade and industry, and attract investors , Kenya Africa Environment Outlook (AEO 3) First meeting of the Steering Committee meet to review plans and guidelines for AEO-3, to be published by UNEP in two years time. The regional collaborating centre for Southern Africa is SARDC IMERCSA , Zimbabwe SADC Water Ministers SADC Ministers responsible for water and water resources will meet in Bulawayo to discuss the state of water resources in the region. June 11 June-12 July, 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup Finals South Africa The world biggest soccer showcase will be played in South Africa by 32 teams, including six from Africa. This is the first time the finals have been hosted on African soil. 29, Switzerland Africa Energy Forum The forum brings together energy experts from both the private and public sector to discuss proposals for the development of the continent's power sector. SOUTHERN AFRICA Today 15

16 H I S T O R Y T O D A Y 20 years Independence Namibia 21 March 1990 THE REPUBLIC of Namibia celebrated 20 years of independence on 21 March with the theme of A visionary nation on the road towards The theme is a reference to the main goal of the national Vision 2030, to be a developed nation in 20 years time. Unlike other countries in the SADC region, Namibia's election results are implemented on Independence Day when the elected President is sworn in and then announces his Cabinet. Namibia held national elections in November, and most of the newly elected Members of Parliament were sworn in on 19 March. Addressing a capacity crowd at the recently refurbished National Stadium, President Hifikepunye Pohamba recalled the history leading to Independence: On that historic day of 21 March 1990, following a protracted and bitter struggle for national liberation, we achieved our objective of political emancipation when we hosted the Namibian flag of freedom, independence, and sovereignty, and lowered the flag of apartheid colonialism. The vote for freedom and democracy was, and remains, an irreversible choice by all our people. We will forever remember our heroes and heroines who inspired us to fight for freedom and independence. The incumbent Prime Minister, Nahas Angula MP, sworn in on the same day, said in a statement that Our celebrations should be tempered by humility and respect. Those whose blood waters our freedom should take a centre stage in our collective memory. We must honour them by building a strong, united, peaceful and equitable nation. Among the achievements of independent Namibia, he noted peace, education and infrastructure development. Our founding fathers and mothers bequeathed us a powerful Constitution which committed all the citizens to strive to achieve national reconciliation, and to foster peace, unity and a common loyalty to a single State. The 20 years of peace and stability were achieved because we all valued the ethos of national reconciliation. He stressed that the celebrations should be tempered by the challenges still facing the country, including underdevelopment, poverty, inequality, unemployment and diseases. Addressing the nation following his inauguration for a second term, Pohamba said international solidarity has made Namibia the success it is today. He saluted the Front Line States for their support and suffering in solidarity with Namibians. The two surviving FLS leaders, former President Kenneth Kaunda from Zambia and President Robert Mugabe from Zimbabwe, were both present at the Independence ceremony, as were the widows of two others, including Mama Maria Nyerere from the United Republic of Tanzania and Maria Eugenia Neto from Angola. Our nation will forever be grateful to the fact that Namibia gained independence under the banner of international solidarity, freedom and justice. We value the diplomatic and material support we received at our time of need some nationals of the then Front Line States lost their lives as a result of the war for national liberation but our brothers and sisters stood firm and never wavered. We will always be grateful. Several Presidents from the region attended, including Mugabe, and those from Botswana, DRC, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia, as well as Denis Sassou- Nguesso from Congo Brazzaville, as well as former Presidents Ketumile Masire and Festus Mogae from Botswana, and Zanele Mbeki, the wife of the former President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki. Other high-level representation at the ceremony included several other SADC countries as well as Cuba, the Russian Federation, the People's Republic of China, Norway and Finland. Cuba and Finland have special connections with Namibia and were represented at high level. Cuban troops stationed in Angola supported the defence of the country from South African invasions, notably in through 1987, when the battle of Cuito Cuanavale was a turning point. South African troops attacked SWAPO camps in southern Angola, with an especially brutal massacre at Cassinga on 4 May 1978, a day now commemorated as a national holiday. Zimbabwe Independence Day United Republic of Tanzania Union Day South Africa Freedom Day 2 April Good Friday Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe 3 April Holy Saturday Zambia 4 April Day of Peace & Reconciliation Angola Heroes Day Lesotho 5 April Easter Monday Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Seychelles, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe Family Day South Africa Lundi de Pâques Madagascar 7 April Women's Day Mozambique Sheikh Abeid Karume Day Tanzania 18 April Independence Day Zimbabwe 19 April Public Holiday Zimbabwe King's Birthday Swaziland 25 April National Flag Day Swaziland 26 April Union Day Tanzania 27 April Freedom Day South Africa 30 April Youth Day DRC 1 May Workers Day DRC, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Labour Day PUBLIC HOLIDAYS IN SADC April - June 2010 Tanzania, Zimbabwe Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Swaziland, Zambia 4 May Cassinga Day Namibia 13 May Ascension Day Botswana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Namibia, Swaziland 14 May Kamuzu Day Malawi 23 May Whit Sunday (Pentecost) Madagascar 24 May Whit Monday Madagascar 25 May Africa Day Angola, Lesotho, Namibia, Africa Freedom Day Zambia 17 May Liberation Day DRC 1 June International Children's Day Angola 5 June Liberation Day Seychelles 16 June Youth Day South Africa 18 June National Day Seychelles 25 June Independence Day Mozambique 26 June Independence Day Madagascar 29 June Independence Day Seychelles 30 June Independence Day DRC A shared future e within a regr egional community